Whangarei Harbour report.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Tamaterau Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2021 at 8:52pm
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Hi Smudge,

Not sure where your workmate is based but kayak fishing is definitely the go in the harbour. I kayak fished for years before getting a boat and did way better in a yak than boat.

So here’s the go: nuclear chook curly tail gulps, fish morning or late arvo. You need the tide to be moving.

High tide, fish the flats, 2-5m of water. A decent sounder let’s you find where the fish are feeding.

Low tide outgoing can be great in the back eddies, 5-7m on the corners of the banks as the fish move out of the shallows and load up.

Softies are the go as they tend to get the worthwhile fish ( there’s a heap of pickers around if using bait).

There are bigger fish about but mostly in the 35-45cm range. Later season you get 55cm + jobs.

Quiet from now through mid-jan as they spawn out in bream bay but after that it’s insanely easy fishing.

Kayaks are great as they are stealthy so you can fish very shallow.

The deep channels are barren.

Overfalls often hold schools of small trevally.

Harbour currents can run at 3-5knots so you do need to be fit. Drift, don’t anchor.

That should get him started.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2021 at 9:04pm
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Originally posted by Tamaterau Tamaterau wrote:

Hi Smudge,

Not sure where your workmate is based but kayak fishing is definitely the go in the harbour. I kayak fished for years before getting a boat and did way better in a yak than boat.

So here’s the go: nuclear chook curly tail gulps, fish morning or late arvo. You need the tide to be moving.

High tide, fish the flats, 2-5m of water. A decent sounder let’s you find where the fish are feeding.

Low tide outgoing can be great in the back eddies, 5-7m on the corners of the banks as the fish move out of the shallows and load up.

Softies are the go as they tend to get the worthwhile fish ( there’s a heap of pickers around if using bait).

There are bigger fish about but mostly in the 35-45cm range. Later season you get 55cm + jobs.

Quiet from now through mid-jan as they spawn out in bream bay but after that it’s insanely easy fishing.

Kayaks are great as they are stealthy so you can fish very shallow.

The deep channels are barren.

Overfalls often hold schools of small trevally.

Harbour currents can run at 3-5knots so you do need to be fit. Drift, don’t anchor.

That should get him started.


I learnt something there, thanks!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (3) Likes(3)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2021 at 7:25pm
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 Tamaterau some good there !👍 

How did everyone get on today..? Pearler conditions.  My pots were empty so moved to bream rocks and picked up 9 snapper ,2 trevally, 1 kawahai. Found a suitable rock to fish and the bite was warming up nicely then 4 boats parked around me within talking distance and divers and spears dropped below me. Think I picked the wrong spot! Filleted and time to head to the ramp. Relaxing cruise checking out all the different types and styles of vessels enjoying the day too.

The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2021 at 10:16am
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Originally posted by Reel Deal Reel Deal wrote:

 Tamaterau some good there !👍 

How did everyone get on today..? Pearler conditions.  My pots were empty so moved to bream rocks and picked up 9 snapper ,2 trevally, 1 kawahai. Found a suitable rock to fish and the bite was warming up nicely then 4 boats parked around me within talking distance and divers and spears dropped below me. Think I picked the wrong spot! Filleted and time to head to the ramp. Relaxing cruise checking out all the different types and styles of vessels enjoying the day too.


Good stuff. Glad you go on to some fish!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (2) Likes(2)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2021 at 10:40am
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Went out early yesterday morning. Even at 0500, only just got the last space in the first car park at the OBC Smile

Great conditions. 


No workups in the area where I had last seen them, so went to 3 Mile Reef. Got a few nibbles, then a respectable john dory on a soft bait.


Bumped in to NZTurtle who was getting in to some good snapper.

A little later in the morning, the workups kicked off in 30 metres. Gannets diving, dolphins and heaps of boat. Sounder was full of bait. Bites were sporadic, but fish were decent. 


Unusually for me, I was out to get a limit of snapper as we needed fillets for a special occasion. That was achieved in a couple of hours and the chilly bin was bulging!

Don't think I was the only one doing well judging by the whoops and screams from the other boats. Hearing kids screaming when they caught a big fish put a smile on my face Smile

There were a large number of boats and jetskis fishing a small area and everyone was respectful and good humoured which was great to see Thumbs Up

Fantastic morning on the water!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote jock Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2021 at 1:06pm
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Nice positive report and beautiful photos MB.
That's a yummy looking snapper you're holding up.. Fatso!!(not you, The fishLOL)
We're hoping to get out this week ahead, so I'll probably post a few tips on where not to go and what not use LOL.
Cheers.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote krow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2021 at 8:13pm
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MBThat was me who found you Saturday. We did ok too best was 670. Fishing under those fast moving workups wasn't that great we found if you didn't get right into it there was no bite. Saw most of the others were struggling too so moved and picked up most of ours not under the workups. Took us to 14:30 and plenty of water covered. Today a bit wider Checked out a few spots and found the one that worked in 45m, heading home by 09:00. BTW that spot we met on again was stacked full of snapper again today but I couldn't get them to bite. Had that there before in the morning and came back in the afternoon and smashed them. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2021 at 9:57pm
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Originally posted by krow krow wrote:

MBThat was me who found you Saturday.

Oops, sorry, old age setting in! Embarrassed


Originally posted by krow krow wrote:

Fishing under those fast moving workups wasn't that great we found if you didn't get right into it there was no bite.

Totally agree! Either there were fewer snapper than expected under the bait or there was so much bait that our lures weren't very interesting to them. No kingfish around either. Also, forgot to say in my trip report that I couldn't get a bite on micro-jigs or slow pitch jigs which normally do well for me in these situations.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote JustAnotherSpearo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 8:41pm
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Awesome report MB. Love it!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (2) Likes(2)   Quote jock Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2021 at 7:46pm
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Me and Missus got out on the water today. Total catch was 4 nice pannie snapper, 3 of which were caught by my wife in quick succession on MY rod while i was busy trying to unravel a helluvah birdsnest on her reel . I caught mine straight after handing her rod back and  then the fish disappeared. 
We were fishing workups next to an anchored ship , something "Wisdom". lots of fish on sounder but no takers on various softies and Inchikus. Dropped a good string puller near No. 2 buoy on bait. Fish were caught drifting using squid bait.
Wind picked up a wee bit around 2:00pm but otherwise pretty flat.
Great wee day on the water.LOL

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2021 at 11:38pm
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Good work Jock Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 8:50am
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hope this comes out as I am still restricted to typing in a little box to the right of screen….after a days fishing with some newbies, i popped into a Whangarei harbour bay for a fillet. Newbies dropped a few lines as some snapper marks showed on sounder in 8m water. As filleting they hooked a few small snapper then a mackerel. That made me cast an eye over my rod selection. Strongest was 10kg and it was strayline rigged with running sinker leader and 2 x 4 bar hooks so popped hooks through mackerel lip and dropped overboard. Carried on filleting and after 20mins heard a few clicks from the real then a strong purrr. It stopped then off it went again. Grabbed rod and pulled up tight. Rods lines etc were everywhere and the fish wanted to fight battle on otherside of boat so had rod tip underwater going underboat and i got railled twice. Now picking it for a shark as shallow water Kingi fight wasn’t what I’m used to. Finally after near spooling and having to go to sunset on drag to stop that happening. the green and yellow striped fish came along side, then it was the turn of a newbie crew member to try his best to pull hook with multiple gaff strikes at the line. So gaffed it myself. Nice addition to snapper and gurnard catch.  Cut into slabs and neighbour slow smoked it over night for the price of a few slabs his way. Win win win. 

The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (3) Likes(3)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 8:51am
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The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 9:31am
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Awesome Reel Deal! Whangarei Harbour at it's best.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 10:35am
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you could row a dingy out into that harbour, land good snaps up to 10 pound snapper and 30 pound kingfish with some skill. I heard of people 2 days ago getting limits of snaps to 10 pounds in an hour anchored just a few hundred meters from shore. I over nighted on hen and chicks night before last with some awesome hot softbait action. I’m starting to get a feel for the place👍😁


The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 10:58am
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Originally posted by Reel Deal Reel Deal wrote:

you could row a dingy out into that harbour, land good snaps up to 10 pound snapper and 30 pound kingfish with some skill. I heard of people 2 days ago getting limits of snaps to 10 pounds in an hour anchored just a few hundred meters from shore. I over nighted on hen and chicks night before last with some awesome hot softbait action. I’m starting to get a feel for the place👍😁

Good stuff. In fishing terms, the harbour is a different place in summer vs winter.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Snappa Geoff Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 12:34pm
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Good skills Reel Deal! Great photo and write up. Cheers...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote jock Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2021 at 2:10pm
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The adrenaline must have been surging big time with all that commotion going on.
Great result, job doneClap
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 2022 at 3:30pm
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tough day today. The wind was more than I had hoped. Popped out of heads and mass of tiddler fish bites. Grabbed for 34cm while hoping for something larger to grace the decks. Had a old fella with me so picked slowly through lumpy bits to make ride comfy. Saw some flooring it and getting airborne and then putt in circles while they put their boat internals back together again.😂

Purua OBC ramp was coping the wind when retrieving but had one good crew who helped make it happen. Hanging out for some windless days. Where do Whangaeri long time locals go fishing when it’s blowing N or NE?
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 2022 at 5:24pm
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Originally posted by Reel Deal Reel Deal wrote:

Where do Whangaeri long time locals go fishing when it’s blowing N or NE?


Northerly not such a bid deal, I stay within the lee of Peach Cove/Bream Head. Harbour is usually OK too if that's your thing unless it's blowing really hard. Northeasterly similar. If I'm on a hardtop, push through to the Hen & Chicks and find shelter over there. No fun on a jetski though! Watch out for easterlies, can be really nasty at the harbour entrance, especially on an outgoing tide.
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